§ Mr. George HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the levels of recorded dioxin contamination(a) in the north-west of England, (b) on Merseyside and (c) in Knowsley.
§ Mr. YeoAs part of a larger survey of milk in the United Kingdom, carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, two samples of whole cow's milk were obtained in 1990 from north-west England, but outside the Merseyside and Knowsley areas. Concentrations of dioxins and furans in the milk were within the normal range observed in the United Kingdom (0.04–0.27 ng TEQ/kg milk).
In 1986 a background survey of dioxins and furans in soils of the United Kingdom was carried out by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Pollution. Samples were taken from sites in north-west England but outside the Merseyside and Knowsley areas. A report of the results is in the Library of the House.
In 1992 measurements of dioxin levels in soil and grass adjacent to the Cleanaway incinerator at Ellesmere. Port were obtained as part of a national survey of emissions from incinerators carried out by HMIP. The results obtained for soil and grass were 0.26 and 0.11 ng TEQ/kg respectively.